Course Title: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW

Course Code: LAW255

Program: LLB

Department: LAW

College: LAW
Institution: PSU

Instructor Name:
Doc. Dr. Enis Omerović
eomerovic@psu.edu.sa
 What is international law?

 States?
 International Organizations?
 Individuals?
 Non-State actors?
 Subjects of international law?
 Some degree of international personality?
 Rights and duties on the international stage
 The contemporary definition of IL is open-ended
 The traditional definition was not so accommodating
 What is international law?

 Traditional rules:
 Sovereign states and their relationship in times of peace and war
 Non-flexible definition
 Other entities?
 Other situations and relations?
 The scope of international law?

 Law of Treaties
 Territory
 Soil
 Airspace
 Upper space
 Rivers, canals, lakes, international waterways, seas
 Seabed
 Arctic / Antarctic
 States
 International Organizations
 The scope of international law?

 Individuals
 Law of the Sea
 State Responsibility
 State jurisdiction
 Human Rights
 Judicial Settlement of International Disputes
 Use of force
Course description
This course aims at introducing the student to public international law
with its different rules, principles and norms. The student will be trained to
use various legal terms in relation to international law. The course will help
the student apply the theory that we study in class to various case studies.
By the end of the course, the student is expected to know not only the
different approaches to conflict resolution, but also the basic rules in
relation to international humanitarian law, the law of treaties, and the
responsibilities of states among other things.
 Public International Law

Course main objective:

To introduce the concept of states and international organizations,

their relations and the ways of their dispute resolutions
 100

Second Exam Participation

20 grades 10 grades
Final Exam
First Exam
40 grades
20 grades Assignment
10 grades
 Main characteristics
 The international legal system is decentralised
 It is based on consent
 National legal systems?
 Sources of IL:
 Treaties (agreements between consenting states)
 Customary IL (emerged through the practice of states endorsed by consent)
 Fundamental principles of law
 Legal doctrine
 International case law
 Main characteristics
 There is also provision within the international legal system for opting out
from the application of treaty provisions or customary international law
 There is no international legislature enacting binding rules nor is there an
international executive enforcing international law
 ICJ?
 ICC?
 Once created, it is mandatory and should not be disregarded by those
subject to it
 Reciprocity?
 States more frequently respect the sovereignty of others
 Critisism of international law
Is it effective?
 IL breaks down frequently in areas which are politically sensitive
and which accordingly attract wide media coverage
 IL operates very effectively and successfully on a regular day-to-
day basis in different sectors, e.g.:
 International travel
 International communications
 International transportation
 International organisations
Assistant Professor
Dr. Enis Omerović
eomerovic@psu.edu.sa